Ore-separating machine



e. DEMAI NE. o'nz SEPARATING MACHINE. ARPLICATION FILED "ML 4. I918.

Patented May 4, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

G DEMAINE ORE SEPARATING MACHINE. APPLICATION men mn. 4, 191a.

1 T I .e m H m Ga'fge amvemtoz GEORGE DEMAINE, OF NOGALES, ARIZONA.

ORE-SEPARATING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1920.

Application filed. March 4,1918. Serial No. 220,346.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonen DEMAINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nogales, in the county of Santa Cruz and State of Arizona, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in OreSeparating Machines, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to ore separating machines and it is the dominant object of the invention to provide an improved ore separating machine of the washer type for use in connection with high grade ores, concentrates and metallurgical products the same being recovered by flotation with oils and water or the like; the machine employing a novel form of agitating means which will insure cleaner tailings and better extraction of the mineral. products.

It is also an object of the invention to provide the machine with a form of agitating means capable of causing a greater swash and swirl of the ore carrying medium, commonly termed froth.

Other independent objects are to provide .leatures of construction of portions of the machine which tend toward the attainment of the above aims irrespective of the relation in which they are used.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown one of various possible embodiments of my invention:

Figure 1 is a top plan of the improved nnmhine having a portionbroken away,

F 2 is a vertical transverse section through the same, and Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of one of the riliies and the fastening means therefor.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, in connection with which like reference characters will designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 1 represents the container or receptacle of the improved machine having an inclined bottom while the opposite ends thereof are provided with bearings for retatably supporting a frusto-conical drum 2,

which drum as will be noted, is mounted on ashaft 3 having one of its ends extended and provided with a pulley 4 adapted to be engaged with a belt or other suitable form of drive gearing. It is to be noted that the container or receptacle 1 is divided into a plurality of chambers indicatedby the numerals 5 and 6, the chamber. 5 serving to receive the agitating means, while the chamber (3 receives the froth formed by the machine during the washing and separating process and will he therefore referred to hereinafter as the froth. chamber. Secured to the peripheral surface of the drum 2 are a plurality of wooden riflies generally indicated by the numeral 7, said riflies having longitudinally extending ways or grooves 8 formed in their outer surfaces and secured to the peripheral surface of said drum 2 by means of bolts 9 passing through suitable openings formed therein into engagement with said drum whereat the same are secured by locking nuts 10 or similar fastening devices, which as will be understood,

are turned into engagement with their threaded extremities.

curved top or cover 11 is provided for the container 1 as will be noted, and is formed of a plurality of juxtaposed. sections, the adjacent marginal portions of which are jointed as at 152 and 13, the joint 13 being stepped as clearly shown in Fig. 1 to permit the removal of'certain of the sections comprising the cover in order that access may be had to the machine should it be necessary to clean or repair certain parts thereof. To prevent the trapping of a portion of the pulp and water during the agitating process, the rear portion of the container is provided with a curved filler 14.; which as will be noted, prevents the trapping of the fluid body in the lower corner of the container upon operation of the agitating means. The pulp is inserted into the casing at the larger end of the drum.

To form the chambers 5 and 6, an apron 1.5 is arranged therein and as will be noted, extends throughout the entire length of the container and is formed with a plurality of perforations in order that the necessary comn'uiinication between the chambers will be afforded. A. second partition 16 is pro vided and extends throughout the entire length of the machine and has its opposite ends secured to the'adjacent portions of the ends of the container 1 and as will be understood, serves not only as a partition, but also as a break for the water and pulp contained in the. agitating chamber 5. Adjustably secured to the partition 16 is a shield 17, which is adapted to be raised or lowered with relation to the bottom. of the container 1 in order that the suction and feed of the ore may be controlled. As means for breaking the force of the water and pulp that does not pass through the perforations in the apron secured to the cover 11 and is bent back into the agitating; chamber of the machine, there is provided an obliquely disposed lip or deflector 18, the same being secured through the medium of bolts 19 to the partition 16 and of course, extending throughout the entire length of the machine. Upon the upper extremity of the partition 16 there is secured an inwardly extending and oblique blade 20' serving a skimmer or ballie whereby to deflect the course of the agitated pulp and water and I as a consequence, prevent'the carrying of the same continuously about with the agitating means.

Positioned in the froth chamber 6 is an inclined wall 21, the upper portion of which is arranged flush with the beveled upper portion of the adjacent side wall of the container indicated by the numeral 22. An outwardly projecting guide plate 23 is also arranged upon the beveled upper end of the container wall and projects for a distance beyond the outer surface of the same into the ordinary form of launder 24, which as will be noted, is arranged adjacent the same.

As means for conveying oil to the machine, conduits 25 are extended into engagement with the top thereof and pass through suitable inlet openings formed in the same, while in order to supply water to the ma chine, another conduit 26 is extended into engagement with a suitable inlet opening formed in said top 11. Formed. in the bottom of the container 1 in the chambe 5 is a tailing discharge opening 27 having connection with a suitable conduit or other form of sewerage means.

In operation, the ore to be separated or washed is fed into the frothing chamber at that end of the same adjacent the small. end of the agitating means comprising the drum and rifl'les 7 This ore is then thrust into the agitating chamber 5 of the machine due to the high velocity at which the drum and riflles are rotated. Simultaneously, oil and water are discharged into the machine by way of the conduits 25 and 26 and being agitated by the frusto-conical agitating means are worked with air into a froth and carried along the machine until the same is dis charged into the froth chamber from the larger end of the agitating means, the oil, water and air forming the froth serving as the means for carrying the mineral prodnote.

the same will be fed into the same by way of the opening occurring between the blade 20 and the adjacent portion of the cover 11. T he froth thus discharged into the froth chamber will rise and flow over into the launder 2 1, while the tailings will settle to the bottom of the agitating chamber and be removed therefrom by way of the outlet opening 27 therefor.

By providing agitating means in the form of a frustum, and the container with an in clined bottom, it will be understood that I am enabled to more thoroughly agitate the ore and as a consequence, obtain a better extraction of the mineral products; said'frus turn, by reason of the manner in which the ore is fed into the machine, serving as means for not only imparting a rotary motion thereto but also a lateral motion to the same as it carried along therewith. to the larger end. Hence, the ore receives a larger swash and swirl. and as will be understood by those skilled in the art, insures cleaner tailings and better extraction in general. Further-- more, by using an agitating means in form of a frost-um, I not only impart a traveling motion to the ore being washed, but also am enabled to use a much smaller frothing chamber and as a consequence, materially lesswater and oil.

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of considerable modification and such modification as is within the scope of my claims, I consider within the spirit ofmy invention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a casing having an opening in one side and with an arcuate top, one edge of said top forming the. upper line of said openin a drum mounted, for rotation within the casing and including a plurality of peripheral 1.'iflles a perforated retarding apron dependfrom the arcuate top and into the casing opening, and a combined cut off and baffle between the apron and drum.

2. In. a device of the class described, a casing having an opening in one side and with an arcuae top, one edge of said top forming the upper line of said openin a drum mounted for rotation within the casing and including a plurality of periphera riflles, a perforated retarding apron depending into the casing opening, a combined cut off and baflle between the apron and drum and spaced above the bottom of the casing. and a controlling plate adjustably connected to the baffle member and operative to control the flow beneath the bafiie member.

In. testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE DEMAINE.

A portion of the froth will of course be fed into the froth chamber by way of the perforate apron 15, while another portion of 

